


When it don't come Easy

by ShadowsintheClouds



Series: Short Marvel Fics and gifts [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha Peter Quill, Alpha Scott Lang, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Civil War Team Iron Man, Graphic description of birth, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt Tony, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Insecure Tony, M/M, Mind the warnings, Mpreg, Not Ant-Man and the Wasp Compliant, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Omega Tony Stark, Rare Pairings, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, do not copy to another site, it gets better though, this starts off dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-11-18 07:52:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18116498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowsintheClouds/pseuds/ShadowsintheClouds
Summary: After the so-called Civil War, Tony was down on his luck. He was horribly injured and his mental illness wanted to get the better of him. It didn't help that a group of aliens called the Guardians just had to show up and make things worse. When they left, Tony was ready to give up on everything. And then the Rogues returned. Thank fuck that Tony met Scott Lang, or else he might as well be dead.Mind the tags.





	1. Left in the (Star)dust

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I love Peter Quill. He’s funny and sweet and has amazing taste in music. I know how I’m having him act in this fic is ooc. I get that. I really do. This is an abo fic. Naturally, there is going to be ooc behaviour. Also, warning, there are non-con element in this fic. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
> 
> Title from the Sleeping at Last cover, When it don’t come Easy.
> 
> Enjoy the fic!

 

When Tony Stark woke up one morning, 3 months after the “Civil War”, to the sound of FRIDAY warning him about an incoming spacecraft, he never imagined that his life would change so drastically.

It all started with those eyes. Those beaming blue eyes that introduced themselves as Peter Quill, an Alpha from Earth who was raised in space. Tony could already feel himself blushing as he introduced himself and welcomed the so-called “Guardians of the Galaxy” into the compound.

“So what brings you guys here to Earth?” asked Tony as everyone got seated in the main living room. A room that had largely been empty for the past 3 months. Tony still felt like most days he was dreaming. Like he would wake up and everyone would be home.

“We’re here to warn you guys about this big bad named Thanos.” Spoke this guy named Rocket, who was an ACTUAL RACCOON!

“Why would he be coming here?”

“Because we have reason to believe that there are Infinity Stones that reside here on Terra.” Spoke up Quill as he looked Tony over. It made him feel just a bit uncomfortable. “How do you plan to defend them?”

Tony looked down at his hands and thought. Well, he more so waffled over what he was told. He didn’t know what to expect from this Thanos guy. He had little experience with this whole thing. What he did know was that the whole situation sounded a lot like the visions and nightmares Tony had been having since 2012. This was the very thing he’d been working towards preventing, yet nobody believed him. It was nice to have a little bit of validation despite the circumstances.

“What’s the timeline?” asked Tony as he looked back up at the rest of the Guardians.

“A couple of years. We know that Thanos is going after some of the easier stones first. That gives you some time to prepare. Maybe throw together a team.” Spoke Quill as he looked back at Tony. Tony just bowed his head and sighed.

“I used to have a team.” Tony felt his chest ache as he though back to slightly better times. “We were called The Avengers. Three months ago we had a big falling out. Now it’s just me and two others.”

“Shit man, what happened?” asked Quill. Tony just looked down at his hands.

“Let’s just say that the rest of what used to be my team are wanted fugitives and I only got out of the hospital from the injuries they caused a week ago.”

The rest of the Guardians looked baffled. They would never betray a teammate like that. It just wasn’t something they did.     

“Look, guys, I can’t do much until I gather what’s left of my team. Until then you guys can chill here. I’ve got some empty rooms you can sleep in and my AI FRIDAY can help you with whatever you need. I can talk more later, but I have a prior engagement I need to attend to.” Apologized Tony. The Guardians just nodded and Quill sent Tony a smile that made his heart flutter.

Tony quickly left the room and instructed FRIDAY to let him know if his guests caused any trouble and to let Rhodey and Vision know that they needed to have a meeting at the end of the week. Now, Tony didn’t just leave the room because he felt a bit uncomfortable. He did actually have plans. He was going to pick up his protegee Peter Parker to spend the weekend at the compound with him to do some science.

It was a thing they had started when Tony was still in the hospital. Peter was worried when Tony got back from Siberia. At the time, Tony wasn’t up to much. Hell, he couldn’t even talk due to all the tubes and wires in his chest. His artificial sternum had been shattered when Rogers had smashed his shield into his chest. The damage was so extensive that they had to put a new version of the arc reactor in to keep Tony alive.

So, while Tony was in the hospital Peter would swing by a few times a week after school to come and hang out. Most of the time he would just talk about his day and all the stuff he’d gotten up to. Other times Peter would have Tony help him with his math homework. It helped keep Tony’s mind occupied and soon enough, Tony started thinking of Peter as his own pup.

So, now Tony was going to pick up Peter so they could spend time together. It was nice to have another Omega around. It helped keep things calm when life was so hectic. When Peter ran outside his apartment in Queens to meet Tony in his orange Audi, he was all smiles. The second Peter got in the car he was talking Tony’s ear off while they drove back.

“So, Mr. Stark, is there anything new happening at the compound?” asked Peter as they got out of the city.  

“Actually there is kid. We’ve got a couple of aliens and an Alpha staying with us for a while. I’ll explain it all later.”

“THAT’S SO COOL!” shouted the excited Spider-kid. Tony just smiled and kept driving.

When they arrived back at the compound, Tony decided to take a bit of a detour back to the living room with Peter. It was better for Tony to introduce the kid to the Guardians while he was supervising then for Peter to stumble upon them and freak out.

“Well hello, Stardust.” Smiled Quill as Tony walked into the room with Peter. “Who’s the kid?”

“Guardians this is Peter. Peter, meet the Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Peter was in awe. He’d never met aliens before. This was beyond his wildest dreams. Peter was quick to swarm the Guardians with well-meaning questions. Quill, Drax, and Mantis were quick to indulge the young Omega as he pestered them all with questions about space. Gamora, Rocket, and Groot just stayed off to the side. Tony just smiled at the scene. It was almost calm. Something Tony hadn’t felt in a long time.

Soon enough Tony managed to drag Peter away from the Guardians so he could go work on his new web fluid in the lab. They spent the afternoon working and talking. Well, Peter did most of the talking. Tony just listened and let his thoughts wander. He wondered what Pepper would say about this whole situation. He’d have to tell her later.  

You see, Tony and Pepper had decided to stay broken up. Seeing Tony dying in the hospital after Siberia was just too much for Pepper to handle. And Tony couldn’t blame her. It was too much for even him to handle. So, they decided to remain friends and to support each other when they needed it. It still didn’t change the fact that he still felt sad about the breakup. It really wasn’t helping with his depression and anxiety, but if it helped Pepper, Tony would gladly give up everything if it made her happy.

That night at dinner, Tony invited the Guardians to join him and Peter. The night was full of jokes and honestly, it was the first time Tony had laughed in a while. By the end of the night, once Peter was safely in his bed, Tony decided to take a little walk around the compound. He needed a little time to clear his head after everything that had happened that day.

“Hey, Stardust.” Tony startled and turned around. Standing behind him was Peter Quill, stupid smile and all.

“Hey, Quill. Is there anything I can help you with? Are you and your team settling in nicely?” asked Tony as he saw Quill get closer.

“Everything’s just fine. Everyone had a good time exploring. I was just wondering about you. You’ve seemed a bit skittish.”

“It’s nothing. Well, it’s not really nothing.” Sighed Tony. He didn’t know what it was, but something in Quill made Tony immediately trust him. “Remember earlier when I said I had only just gotten out of the hospital?” Quill nodded. “It was because a former teammate smashed in my chest and left me to die alone in the freezing cold.”

“WHAT THE FUCK! That’s not cool dude!” shouted Quill and Tony flinched back a bit involuntarily. Tony had never liked shouting.

“Sorry Stardust, it’s just… how could someone do that to a person? It’s horrible.” Huffed Quill completely scandalized at the thought of leaving someone behind to die.

The rest of the night was spent talking. Quill told Tony stories about his life exploring the cosmos and Tony told Quill about his life. His shitty shitty life. They took comfort in each other. Sometimes it helped to have similar experiences.

The next day, Quill and the rest of the Guardians agreed to stay Earth-side for a couple of months. It was in their best interest to work together with the governments of Earth to plan for the upcoming battle. Peter Parker loved coming to visit and hang around with the Guardians. He got along splendidly with Mantis and Groot. The other Guardians took advantage of the compounds training facilities. Gamora and Drax got in more weapons training in the few weeks they’d been there then they had in the years they’d been a team. Rocket was given some lab space and was told to “go nuts”. Every day some new explosion happened. 

Tony and Quill worked a bit differently. They spent their days' planning and their evenings talking. Tony slowly got Quill caught up on Earth culture and they enjoyed watching movies together or blasting music in the lab while Tony worked. Quill kept calling Tony Stardust and in turn, Tony called Quill Rocket Man. Although, Tony was the only one who blushed when he was called a cheesy nickname. It really didn’t take long for Tony to realize that he had developed feelings for Quill. 

That was his problem. He fell for people too easily. He was so starved for affection that he just took what he could get and ran with it like a dog after a stick.        

Rhodey, on the other hand, was cautious over the whole situation. Tony was his little brother in all but blood. He didn’t want to see Tony get hurt. Tony had enough pain in his life. He didn’t need the heartbreak that would come when Quill inevitably left to return to space. But, Rhodey also didn’t want to spoil one of the few things that was currently making him happy. Tony had been dealing with depression since he was a teenager. He’d only started medication for it after the battle of New York. He had to change his meds after Siberia and they were absolutely wrecking him. So, for Rhodey to see Tony smiling and enjoying himself, it made things better.

But that still didn’t mean that Rhodey was all for the idea of Tony and Quill getting together.

Tony, on the other hand, was blissfully unaware of what Rhodey thought about Quill. Rhodey was willing to give Quill a chance. So, Tony and Quill grew closer. Closer to the point where Quill had asked Tony out on a date. It wasn’t anything fancy. Just a day out on the town on one of their days off from doing work planning for Thanos. At that point, the Guardians had been living at the compound for 2 months and everyone had settled into a routine.

Although, after that date, Tony and Quill became just a little bit closer.

“You know, if you’re really that set on dating me you should know what you’re getting into.” Sighed Tony one night after they had gotten back from a date to an ice cream shop in Manhattan.  

“I already know what I’m getting into Stardust. You’re irresistible.” Husked Quill as they sat down together on one of the couches in Tony’s room.

“I’m really not. I’ve got scars. Bad ones. I’m not as young as I once was.” Quill just took Tony’s hands in his and kissed the knuckles.

“I don’t care about your scars. If it’s one thing I learned while living with the Ravagers it’s to be proud of your scars. Scars just mean that something could have killed you but it didn’t. Yondu always told me that scars told the stories of battle.” Tony just smiled a bit. “I remember, back with the Ravagers we used to have nights where we’d all sit around, eat food, and tell tales off all the missions we’d been on. Those were the moments that were actually good. And, nobody was threatening to eat me so there’s that.”

Tony paused for a moment and looked up at Quill. He looked so sincere. His scent was so calming that Tony just knew he could trust him with his scars.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” And with that, Tony pulled off his shirt and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to look at Quill’s face when he saw the river of scars that covered his upper body.

Quill, on the other hand, couldn’t take his eyes off of Tony. Or more importantly, he couldn’t take his eyes off of the long still fresh scar tissue that bisected Tony’s chest. A scar caused by a vibrainium shield coming down on the arc reactor. That scar sat right in the middle of Tony’s chest and was only interrupted by a circle of red, inflamed scar tissue surrounding Tony’s new arc reactor. There was a myriad of other scars covering Tony’s arms and chest, as well as some old scars on Tony’s back that seemed to be from a belt, but those were the biggest scars on Tony’s body.

“You look beautiful Stardust. Your body is a story. A story that lead you to me.” Quill walked closer and pulled Tony into a hug. He set Tony head near his scent gland and allowed his calming scent to relax the Omega.

“Thank you, Peter.” Whispered Tony once he had calmed down a bit.

“Don’t thank me Stardust. You’re beautiful. So beautiful.”

That night they didn’t end up having sex, but they did spend the night together. They had fallen asleep on the couch while watching Star Wars. It was oddly domestic.        

So, things were going great. Everyone was getting along. They had the beginnings of a solid plan to help defend Earth. Although a huge part of that plan hinged on getting the Rogue Avengers pardoned. Tony was already working on that with the US government and the UN. But that didn’t mean he had to like it. Other then that, things were good. Quill was amazing, The Guardians were getting used to Earth, Peter was flourishing at school, Rhodey was getting better and better at walking in his braces, and Vision had discovered that he had an affinity for baking. Not cooking, baking. He still couldn’t cook. But, things were good.    

And then Tony’s heat hit.

Tony was lucky he was born when he was. By the time Tony had turned 10, the Omega Rights Movement had succeeded in granting equal rights for all Omegas. They could vote, inherit, run large corporations, the works. They even had special protections during their heats. Before, Alphas could just come in and take advantage of the situation. Now, there had to be strict written consent before a pair could share a heat unless they were bonded. It was to protect those who were vulnerable. It was the law.

But nobody told Peter Quill that.

So, in the middle of the night, Tony’s life got turned upside-down. He hadn’t been on any heat suppressants due to his heart medication. And, well, Tony honestly hadn’t been expecting to go into heat due to all the stress his body had been under. So, he really wasn’t prepared. FRIDAY sure as hell didn’t know what to do. She had no protocols for heat. She hadn’t needed them before and Tony hadn’t felt the need to add any protocols. He hadn’t been a playboy for years. He didn’t need them.

Big mistake.

The other big mistake was Tony not locking his door.

Tony always knew he produced higher than normal pheromones during heat, and that really wasn’t helping him at that moment. The second Quill, who was going to the kitchen to get a snack, smelt the sweet aroma of an Omega in heat wafting through the compound he was pulled into his rut. It didn’t take long for Quill to get into Tony’s room.

And in that moment, Tony’s life was changed forever.

Tony knew he didn’t want this. He wasn’t ready for this. But his heat brain was absolutely on board with the idea of having sex with Quill. This was why there where laws protecting Omegas in heat. This was the reason.

It took two days for Tony’s heat to subside. The whole time Tony was grappling with the reality of what his body wanted versus what his brain wanted. What drove Tony crazy was the fact that, in the moment, Tony couldn’t do anything about the situation. It drove him crazy. He almost welcomed those moments when he got so exhausted that he passed out.

By the night of the second day, Tony’s heat had ended and he was completely passed out. He felt wrung out and absolutely disgusting. He felt used and dirty. He felt worse then he had in months. All he wanted to do was crawl into a hole and die. If he didn’t have to work to save the universe he would have. Instead, he opted for sleep. He could work through all of this when he didn’t feel like passing out.    

By the time Tony had woken up the next day when it was well past noon, Quill was gone and in his place was a yellow sticky note.

“Stardust; we got a call back from the Nova Corps. We’re leaving at dawn. Thanks for the awesome few months. We’ll meet again. -Star-Lord”

Tony was completely heartbroken. He had put his trust in Quill and he had broken it. And what had Quill done? He had used Tony when he was most vulnerable and when he was done, fucked back off to space. But, Tony couldn’t help but feel like the whole situation was somehow his fault. And that caused Tony to have a panic attack.

Luckily, FRIDAY did have a protocol for that and Rhodey came running the second he was alerted to the situation. When he entered Tony’s room he was struck with the thick scent of destressed Omega and the subtle scent of heat and rut. It didn’t take very long for Rhodey to put two and two together.

“Tony… Tony, what happened?” asked Rhodey as soothing as he could. He knew it was better for Tony to come to him with the information than him prying any further than he had.

What surprised Rhodey the most was the fact that Tony actually started talking. Rhodey chalked it up to the decades of trust they had together, but by the end, Rhodey was more than ready to kick some space ass.     

“THAT SON OF A BITCH! HOW COULD HE DO THIS TO YOU?!”

“It’s all my fault Rhodey! It’s all my fault! If I had just given FRIDAY new protocols or just locked my FUCKING door!” Tony was crying and Rhodey’s heart was breaking.

“No!” shouted Rhodey as he pulled Tony into a bear hug. “Don’t you ever say that again Tony. None of this is your fault. What Quill did was inexcusable. He never should have taken advantage of you whether he knew it was the law or not. You were vulnerable and he took advantage. End of story. You did nothing wrong. You did nothing wrong, Tony.”

Tony ended up crying into Rhodey’s shoulder before he passed out from exhaustion. Rhodey just tucked him into bed and called Pepper and Happy to let them know what happened. They all needed to be there for Tony.

Tony spent the rest of the week holed up with Rhodey and Peter in his room. Rhodey brought the comfort while Peter brought the laughs. That kid was so good and pure. Peter brought stories and candy every time he visited. It helped bring up the mood when things got too dark and gloomy.  

A week after that Pepper and Happy managed to come down to visit. They managed to get Tony out of the compound and outside to get some sun. It helped improve Tony’s mood a little bit. At least they got him to eat and get fresh air. But even that didn’t last long.

Tony had started feeling sick. He would wake up in the morning wanting to throw-up. Certain foods sent him running for the bathroom. It was hell. At first, he chalked it up to being even more depressed about Quill and the other Guardians fucking off back to space and the stress of trying to get the Rogue Avengers pardoned.

That wasn’t it.

FRIDAY was the one to suggest buying a pregnancy test. Quill hadn’t used any protection during Tony’s heat. It was more a precaution than anything to buy the test. FRIDAY made sure that the order was done anonymously, and by the end of the day, Tony had the test in his hand. He made sure that he was alone when he took it. He didn’t need everyone else being overly concerned about him. He didn’t know if he could take their sad looks anymore.

So, Tony took the test and waited. He curled up on the floor of his bathroom with his head between his hands and his legs shaking. He really didn’t know how he should be feeling. But, in true scientific fashion, Tony just wanted an answer. He would deal with the outcome when he got it.     

After five minutes Tony looked up and picked up the stick of destiny. The second Tony looked at it, he started to cry. There, on the test, were two pink lines. He was pregnant.


	2. Finding Shelter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! A new chapter for you. I hope you like it! -Shadows.

When May Parker heard a knock on her door at 10 o’clock at night on a Saturday, she knew something was up. Peter was out doing his Spider-Man thing and she wasn’t expecting any company. So, she approached the door with apprehension.

She was not expecting to open that door to find Tony Stark himself. And he didn’t even look like his normal well put together self. Tony was wearing track pants and an old MIT hoodie. He looked almost… scared.

“Mrs. Parker… Um… may I come in?” asked the genius timidly. That was when May knew something was wrong. Tony Stark was anything but timid. She ushered him inside and closed the door.

“I’m sorry for intruding. I just didn’t know where else to go.” Whispered Tony as he wrapped his arms around himself. “It’s just… you’re a nurse and I didn’t have anywhere else and…” Tony’s voice choked off and a tear rolled down his cheek.

Mr. Stark, what happened? Are you hurt?” asked May as she got Tony sitting down on the couch. Tony just shook a little bit. He was definitely going into shock. May was quick to wrap the poor man in a blanket and check him over for obvious injuries. Buy the time she was done, Tony had managed to calm down enough to talk without tripping over his words.

“Mr. Stark… Tony, can you tell me what happened?” prodded May. After a moment, Tony answered.

“Do you know what happened between me and a member of the Guardians?” asked Tony sullenly. May nodded.   

May knew what happened between Tony and Quill. She only knew because Peter had come home upset after he had found out what had happened due to snooping around where he shouldn’t. May had given him a long talk about all the laws protecting him and to come to her or another trusted adult if he ever felt unsafe around someone.

“Well, I’d been feeling really sick lately. I’ve been throwing up a lot, certain smells make me nauseous. I’ve just been feeling like shit. It was my AI, FRIDAY, who suggested I take a pregnancy test. So, I took one and…and…”

“You’re pregnant.” Supplied May and Tony nodded and began to cry silent tears.

May ended up giving the man a shoulder to cry on. She had felt sick when she learnt what had happened, and with this new revelation, she knew she had to help in some way. Tony had done so much for Peter. He helped bring the kid out of his shell. He gave Peter the resources he needed to be safe and succeed. Offering comfort and help was the least she could do.

“Well Tony, I hate to be the one to say this, but without the Alpha here the only thing we can do is try our best to keep you and the baby healthy.” Tony just sighed as his hands shook. For all the rights Omegas had gotten over the years, the right to choose was unfortunately not one of them. And, to top it all off, Tony knew that he would need to find a new Alpha and bond with them before the baby was born or else there was a high chance of sickness and death. With Thanos coming, death wasn’t really an option.

May eventually got Tony to calm down enough to lay down and drink something. Once she knew he was comfortable she walked over to the kitchen to send Peter a text.

May- Peter. You might want to come home. We have a bit of an emergency.

Peter- What happened? What’s wrong?

May- Tony just found out he’s pregnant and is freaking out about it. I think he needs your support.

Peter- OMW

Not even 10 minutes later Peter was climbing in through the window and pulling off his suit in favour of sweatpants and a science shirt that said, “I’m one lab accident away from becoming a super villain” Peter made a b-line for the couch and immediately cuddle up to Tony. He began telling the man about his day and how this nice old lady had bought him a churro after he helped her cross a busy street.

That night, all three of them ended up sleeping in the living room. When morning came they all made their way back to the compound. Thankfully it was May’s day off and Peter had the day off school. The drive back actually put a bit of a smile on Tony’s face. Peter had gotten his learner's permit and Tony let him drive the Audi back to the compound. He had both Tony and My hitting the imaginary breaks but Peter was all smiles. And when Peter smiles it’s contagious.

When they got back to the compound May whisked Tony away to medical to do a thorough check-up while Peter when to go tell Rhodey what had happened. After running a series of test, May was able to confirm that Tony was indeed pregnant and he started crying again. Things just really weren’t working out in his life. Because he was pregnant, Tony had to go off all of his anti-anxiety and depression medication for the health of his pup. That wasn’t good. At least he could still take his heart medication.

Still, Tony would need to be monitored closely throughout this whole ordeal. From there Tony’s life was ruled by doctors appointments with May and trying to fight off his depression enough to function. Because Tony had to go off some of his meds for the health of his pup, his depression was trying to damn hard to get the better of him. Thank fuck for Rhodey and Vision. They made sure Tony ate the right things, got enough sleep, and had enough human interaction.

Peter would visit often. The kid was honestly the only one that was excited about the pup. His excitement was infectious and he even managed to get Tony to do some online shopping with him for things for the pup.

There were honestly some days where Tony just couldn’t believe he was pregnant. It didn’t feel real. Even though he’d seen the pup in ultrasounds and he could see the beginnings of a baby bump. It was hard for Tony to grasp the situation. He did decide to try and make the best of the situation. He wanted to keep the pup’s gender a secret until they were born. That was because he knew that his friends would go overboard with the baby stuff.

The first time Tony felt the pup kick was when the whole situation seemed to set in. He was carrying a pup. HIS pup. He cried when he felt the first few clear kicks. Tony knew that he was going to try his best for this pup. He was going to give them the childhood he never had. He was NOT about to fail his pup. At the moment Peter and this pup where the only things holding him together. Try as they might, Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy just didn’t have the same healing energy as a rambunctious teenager.

Tony was also very lucky so far. His pregnancy was considered very high risk due to his age and medical problems. Every week May was down at the compound checking up on him and the baby. So far, they were healthy. Well, as healthy as someone with chronic heart problems could be. But at least the baby was doing well. Actually, things were going well in general. Could they be better? Absolutely! But everyone was alive and healing.    

Then, four months after Tony had found out he was pregnant, the Rogue Avengers returned.

That morning Tony was a mess. King T’Challa had called ahead to let Tony and the others know when they would be arriving back at the compound. Tony was stressed the whole morning. Rhodey and Vision kept hovering close by to keep an eye on Tony. Peter had wanted to be there but he had school and Tony wouldn’t let him skip.

Hope Van-Dyne, aka The Wasp, had also shown up that morning. She had a bone to pick with some of the Rogues and Tony couldn’t wait to see her tear them a new one. Tony had actually babysat her a few times when they were little. Tony was 6 years older then her so he was the one in charge when their fathers were in meetings. It was one of the few times that Tony got to run around and play games.

Tony was still a mess though. He was dreading the Rogues coming back. They had hurt him horribly in the past. They had used and abused him, blaming him for things out of his control. Tony didn’t want them to hurt his pup. Especially that little witch Wanda. He needed to keep his family safe. That was his first priority. As well, Tony knew that he didn’t owe the Rogue anything. He was giving them housing and food, everything else they could deal with on their own. Tony couldn’t do their weapons for them because he was barred from the lab. It was for his own safety.

So, with the Rogue arriving soon it was time to get ready. Unfortunately for Tony, none of his nice clothes fit anymore, so he was stuck with a pair of grey sweatpants and a well worn MIT sweatshirt. Everyone else was dressed nice, Tony just felt like a slob.

By the time the jet holding the Rogues and T’Challa arrived, a sombre mood had settled over the compound. None of them were ready to meet with their former friends. Rhodey, Vision, and Hope went outside to greet the jet. Tony waited inside so that if he felt faint and needed to sit down, he could. Tony ended up standing in the kitchen with a glass of ginger ale. He could hear some commotion outside and was absolutely dreading coming face to face with the people who had hurt him. Really, there were only two people that Tony wasn’t mad at out of that group. He wasn’t mad at Barnes for killing his parents. It wasn’t him and he wasn’t in control at the time. He was more made at Rogers than anything. Captain Hypocrite could go piss of for all he cared. The other person he wasn’t mad at was Scott Lang. It seemed like he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He could only hope that the Rogues hadn’t turned Lang against him before they could even properly meet.

Tony was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of the back door opening up. Just as Tony looked up the Rogues walked in followed by Rhodey, Vision, and Hope.

“Wow, Stark. You couldn’t even be bothered to actually get dressed for us? Are we that unimportant to you?” sneered Clint the second he laid his eyes on Tony.

“None of my clothes fit.” Mumbled Tony as he wrapped his arms around his growing belly. Nobody seemed to have heard him though.

“Alright, guys calm down. Nobody is going to make fun of anybody here. We still have stuff to go over before you all head to your rooms. Those were left untouched by the way. They are exactly as you left them.”  Began Rhodey as he tried to get the rooms attention back on him. It didn’t work. All of their eyes were on Tony, who looked extremely uncomfortable.

“Why didn’t you come outside to greet us Stark. You of all people should know about proper etiquette.” Spoke Steve as he gave Tony the “eyebrows of disappointment”. Tony just hugged his midsection tighter.  

“I haven’t been feeling well. Inside is safer for me.” Whispered Tony. He was feeling a little nauseous.

“You’re just being a baby. Just cut the crap Stark.” Snapped Clint. There were a few nods from the other Rogues. Well, all of them except Scott who just looked uncomfortable.

“Wait a second guys.” Interrupted Natasha as she sniffed the air. “I think there’s some merit to that claim. Someone here smells like a pregnant Omega.”

And with that, all eyes in the room turn to Tony who just became increasingly uncomfortable. Before Rhodey and Hope could deescalate the situation, the room erupted in shouting.  

“Of course the SLUT is pregnant.” Shouted Clint and Tony tried his best to keep his emotions in check.

“I didn’t choose for this to happen.” Whispered Tony once more. The Rogues looked angry. Scott just looked concerned.

“Of course you didn’t choose for it to happen. You were probably just slutting it up as usual. Why any Alpha would get with you is a complete mystery.” Snickered Wanda as her hands flared with small sparkles of red.

“Where even is the Alpha anyways Stark? How much did you pay them to leave you alone with their pup?” snapped Clint. Tony felt like crying.

“He’s not here. I didn’t pay him anything. He just… he just…” Tony was beginning to stumble over his words as he began to panic. He didn’t want to remember what had happened to him.

“He just what? Stark, you can’t blame others for your bad decisions.” Condemned Steve and Tony felt a few tears leak loose. The room was full of invasive questions. Rhodey, Hope, and surprisingly Scott tried their best to get the room to calm down. It was some shouting from Wanda that finally made Tony crack.

“What do you want me to tell you? Do you want me to tell you that I was taken advantage of during my heat by someone I trusted? Do you want to know every dirty little detail like the animals you are? Just piss off and leave me alone!” shouted Tony as tears rolled down his cheeks. He made his way swiftly out of the room only to make it halfway to his room before he slid down the wall and began bawling his eyes out on frustration and fear.     

“Wow, you guys are assholes. Can’t you see that he was upset?! Why did you try to push the issue? Why the hell did I even follow you guys in the first place?” Shouted Scott as he looked over the room. None of the Rogues even had the decency to look guilty.

While Rhodey and Hope got the Rogues under control and back on track, Scott ran off to go see if Tony was alright. He found the man crying on the floor in the hallway. He made his way over to make sure that Tony wasn’t hurt. He didn’t look hurt, just upset.

“I’m sorry that happened to you.” Spoke Scott softly as he took a seat next to Tony on the floor. “Nobody should ever have to go though something like that.”

Tony just looked down at his hands but didn’t resist when Scott pulled him into a hug.

“For what it’s worth I’m sorry about the whole airport fight. I was in the wrong on that one.” Now that got Tony’s attention. He wasn’t expecting any of the Rogues to apologize.

“You know, once I got to Wakanda and had heard about the accords I immediately asked to read them. The second I read them I realised I messed up and chose the wrong side. Just goes to show that you need both sides of the story before you make a decision. And also that sometimes listening to Captain America blindly is not a good idea.”  

“I think you’re the only one who actually read through the accords. Thanks… I guess.” Smiled Tony tearfully.

He and Scott ended up talking on the floor for a little bit longer. It was mostly about trivial stuff. Things to get Tony’s mind off of what had happened with Quill. Turned out that Scott had been teaching himself magic tricks to keep himself occupied while in Wakanda. They had a bit of a laugh. After a while though, Tony began to get tired, so Scott helped him up and to his room so he could rest before he rejoined the rest of the group. Rhodey greeted him with a smile before he returned to yelling at the others.

That night Scott couldn’t help but think about Tony. The Omega was nothing like how the Rogues, mainly Clint and Wanda, had painted him. He was just a scared, scarred man who wanted love and affection. How could the others not see that? Scott had only known Tony for like an hour and he could see that clearly. It kind of pissed him off. And Scott wasn’t easy to piss off. The Alpha in him was fuming at the way Tony was being treated.  

The next day Scott and Clint’s kids and their other parents arrived at the compound. Cassie was over the moon excited to see her father. Paxton and Maggie were also there. They were both mad at Scott but knew that he loved Cassie and would always protect her.

Clint on the other hand, wasn’t as lucky. Laura was furious with him for leaving her and the kids when he had promised her that he was retired. She had slapped him hard when he tried to put all the blame on Tony for the whole accords things. Laura knew different. She had read the accords herself and Tony had given her and her children protection from Ross and all the other nasty people while Clint was on the run. Laura was also a smart woman. No sooner did Clint start fuming about Tony and the accords did Laura serve him with divorce papers. Clint could see the kids and still be in their lives, but Laura was sick and tired of his excuses and lack of regard for his family.

Not too long after the kids arrived, May Parker showed up at the compound with a medical folder. She called all the adults into a room, with the exception of Tony and had them all sit down. She was there to talk and she meant business.

“Alright, people let me introduce myself before I get down to business. My name is May Parker and I’m a registered nurse. I’m here to talk to you all today about Tony and his situation.” Started May before she was quickly interrupted.

“Why the hell do you need to tell us about this stuff. The slut got pregnant. So what?” snarked Clint before Laura slapped him upside the head.

“You need to know all of this because he has a serious medical condition on top of being pregnant and he will need help. I can’t always be here and the more people who know what to do the better.” Explained May in a no-nonsense way.  

“I still don’t see the point. He and his bastard child can die for all I care.” Whispered Wanda. Nobody heard her except Scott who looked absolutely scandalized by what she had said.

“You guys can hate Tony all you want, but at the end of the day, his health and the baby’s health is more important than your useless grudges. Now, we are going to go over all the health stuff so that if something happens, you’re able to help out if needed.” Spoke May in such a manner that even Natasha was feeling a bit intimidated.

Surprisingly Scott Lang was the only one of the Rogues actually paying attention. After seeing Tony just completely breakdown in fear and anxiety the day before he knew that he had to do something. If helping with the medical stuff and offering comfort and compassion was what he could do to help, then by god that was what he was going to do.

So, while May explained all the medical stuff to the Rogues, Tony ended up laying down on the couch. He took the time to look over a few new blue prints that Pepper needed. He worked in relative silence of a few moments until he was interrupted by a small child standing in front of him.

“What are you doing?” asked the child. Tony looked up and smiled.

“I’m looking over some blueprints for a new medical device.” Explained Tony as he showed the designs to the child.

“That’s so cool! What does it do?”

“It helps people who can’t walk anymore walk again.”

“That’s amazing!” shouted the child and Tony couldn’t help but give her a small smile.

“What’s your name. My name’s Tony.” Spoke Tony as he introduced himself.

“My name is Cassie. My Daddy is Ant-Man. He’s a superhero like you.” Smiled Cassie. “Are you having a pup?” she asked as she saw Tony’s growing bump.

“Yes, I am.” Tony smiled a bit as he saw Cassie’s eye’s widen.

“Are you having a boy or a girl?”

“I don’t know yet. I want it to be a surprise.” Tony smiled as Cassie looked confused.

“Why?”

“You know when it’s your birthday and you get to open presents and be surprised by what’s in them. It’s like that.” Explained Tony. Cassie just nodded with a smile.

“Do you wanna draw dinosaurs with me?” asked Cassie. Tony nodded and soon enough the two were sitting at the kitchen table and drawing dinosaurs. At one point they had come up with this elaborate story involving the dinosaurs and a magic kite. It helped keep Cassie occupied until the adults were done with their meeting.

The second Scott emerged from the meeting, Cassie was all over him and telling him about her afternoon.   

“I’m sorry if she was bugging you.” Apologised Scott. Once Cassie had stopped talking.  

“No, it’s fine. We talked and drew dinosaurs.” Spoke Tony. He felt on edge around the Rogues but he felt better around Scott.  

“You’re good with kids. You’re going to make a great parent.” Smiled Scott as he lead Cassie out of the room. Tony just sat there in surprise. Well, he sure wasn’t expecting that.

The next few days with the Rogues back at the compound were tense. Tony, for the most part, stuck to his room and the kitchen. Peter swung by almost every day after school to hang out and do science. Rhodey and Vision were mostly busy with the Rogues so Tony was happy for the company. Tony also found company in little Cassie Lang. According to Scott, she thought Tony was cool and she wanted to be around cool people. Tony really couldn’t complain. He found pups to be better then adults anyways.

The biggest surprise Tony had, was the fact that Scott actually spent time with him. They talked about science and engineering. Actually, Scott spent most of his free time with Tony. It was kind of nice. It was refreshing to have someone to talk to who wasn’t Rhodey. Scott actually made an effort to make sure that Tony was comfortable. He even managed to make Tony laugh which was no mean feat.

So, over the past month, Tony and Scott got closer. Scott even helped Tony get his pup’s nursery ready. Tony couldn’t really believe what was happening. Scott was being so sweet and kind and expected nothing in return. He was nothing like almost all of the Alphas Tony had met in the past. It was refreshing.

By the time Tony was six months pregnant, he had come to a stark (pun intended) realisation. He had fallen in love with Scott Lang. Scott was genuinely kind to him. He cared about Tony and his pup. He actually tried to make Tony’s life easier.

The realisation hit Tony like a tonne of bricks. He didn’t know if he was ready for any kind of relationship. What he had had with Quill was just too intense and painful. The thought of having something with Scott made Tony scared. He didn’t want to get hurt again.

But the logical side of Tony knew that Scott was the furthest thing from a threat. He was sweet, respected Tony’s space, and he even brought him food. Looking at it, Tony’s standards were really low. It probably had to do with Howard being an abusive bag of dicks.

So, while Tony was having a mini crisis over realising his feelings for Scott, Scott was dealing with the same thing. It hadn’t taken Scott long to realise that Tony was absolutely nothing like the media and the Rogue Avengers had painted him. Tony was one of the most caring people he had met. He was smart, he was good with kids, Cassie adored him. He was perfect.

Scott was also much more sure when it came to relationships compared to Tony. So, that night, Scott hatched a plan. He made Tony dinner that night and they ate together in Tony’s room. Eating there had the benefit of having privacy and avoiding the Rogues who always felt the need to try and kick Tony out of the kitchen when he was actually hungry.

After dinner, Scott helped Tony lie down on the couch in his room so they could watch a movie. They ended up watching some cheesy romance film that made them laugh. Halfway through the film, Tony’s head migrated onto Scott’s lap. Scott ran one hand through Tony’s curls and the other rested on Tony’s belly. Surprisingly, Tony had zero problems with this arrangement. He actually felt comfortable and protected. It was a nice feeling. One he hadn’t felt since he was a scrawny teen sharing a room with Rhodey at MIT.

By the end of the movie, Tony had to sit up for a bit. The pup was kicking up a storm and a change of angle was needed. Scott helped him sit up but he didn’t remove his arm from Tony’s shoulders.

“That was fun. I like spending time with you.” Smiled Scott. Tony just blushed.

“I like spending time with you too.” Mumbled Tony. “It’s nice to spend time with people who don’t hate me.”

“I don’t get why they hate you Tony. You are so much more then the what others say about you. You’re funny, you’re smart, you care deeply for others. What’s not to love about you?” smiled Scott as he pulled Tony closer to his side. Tony turned a deeper shade of red and looked down at his hands.

“There are a lot of reasons to hate me.” Murmured Tony.

“Well, I don’t believe any of them. I like you Tony. I like you a lot and you deserve the world.” Scott was giving Tony a soothing smile and Tony was still blushing. When Tony turned a bit to face Scott he made to say something. He wanted to say all the things that he hated about himself to prove Scott wrong, but he never got the chance. The second Tony turned around Scott had this dopey smile on his face that made Tony’s heart flutter.        

And that was when Scott lent in and kissed him.


	3. We're in this Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, it's a brand new chapter! Fair warning, this one is a little graphic. Who can guess why? I hope you like it. -Shadows

Tony couldn’t believe what had just happened. Scott had kissed him. Scott liked him enough to kiss him. The idea kind of fried Tony’s brain. But, even so, Tony managed to kiss back. By the time they broke apart Tony was blushing a deep shade of red and Scott was smiling.

“I hope that wasn’t too forward?” spoke Scott sheepishly once Tony had gotten over the shock of the situation.

“You really like me?” whispered Tony and Scott had to strain his ears to hear him.

“Of course I do Tony. You’re amazing. You’re so sweet and kind. You’re handsome and brave. I know you’re scared but you don’t have to be alone anymore.”

And that was when Tony broke down. He could blame his pregnancy hormones all he wanted, but he was more relieved than anything. Scott just held Tony close as he cried tears of relief. Tony had always held out hope that there was someone out there for him. And here, Scott had already seen him at his worst. In theory, things could only go up from there.   

“What about my pup? They’re not yours.” Asked Tony after a few moments of tears, his anxiety returning to him.

“Tony, I don’t care about that. I promise that I will be there for you and this pup until you get sick of me. I promise I won't leave you like that space clown did.”

Tony was beyond relieved to hear those words. Scott was so calming and trusting, he just made Tony feel better about everything. The two spent the rest of the day cuddling close in Tony’s room. They ended up having a nap until FRIDAY alerted them that Cassie was looking for them.

From there Scott and Tony spent most of their time together. Scott slowly began moving his things to Tony’s room. He was spending most nights with the Omega anyway so it made sense to have his clothes there. Things were nice. With Scott around, the Rogues mostly left Tony alone. Sure, Tony still had to deal with angry jabs from Wanda and Clint, and disappointing glares from Steve, but for the most part they left him alone when Scott was nearby. Nobody really wanted to piss the Alpha off.

Both Tony and Scott knew that they were moving kind of fast into this relationship. They knew that. But with Tony getting into his seventh month of pregnancy, they knew that time was of the essence.   

“Scott… I want you to bond with me.” Blurted out Tony one afternoon while they were cuddling. Tony was just about to hit his seventh month of pregnancy and he knew that he needed to bond.

“Are you sure about that Tony. I need you to be sure before we do anything, I don’t want to take your choice away from you.” Tony just smiled. Scott was so sweet. He really appreciated that he always asked Tony for consent. Tony’s bar really was low.

“I’m sure. I can feel it. My body needs to bond to an Alpha to keep me and my pup alive. I trust you, Scott. I trust you to help me and my pup. Please, Scott. Don’t make me beg. Please bond with me.  

“Tony, I would be honoured to bond with you.”

That night, Tony and Scott made love for the first time. It was a little bit awkward having a pregnant belly in the way, but it was so worth it in the end. Scott had been so gentle with Tony up until that point. It was amazing to see him lose control as he claimed his Omega. Tony just smelt so good and was making those sweet little noises that nobody would really blame him. And, when Scott’s knot popped and he bit down on Tony’s bonding gland, it was like coming home.

From there Tony and Scott got even closer. Rhodey was happy to see that Tony was happy. In Rhodey’s opinion, Scott was 100X better than Quill. When Tony told May and Peter that he had bonded, they were both a bit skeptical. They just wanted what was best for Tony. But, Peter was quick to warm up to Scott after the two spent an afternoon building Lego with Cassie.

Cassie was a whole story on her own. Because her mom had re-mated after she left Scott, Cassie had a pretty decent understanding of what it meant to have a step parent. She didn’t really understand the secondary gender aspect of mating though because both Paxton and her mother were both Betas. All Cassie understood was that Tony was now family and that she was getting a new little brother or sister.

That part got her really excited.

Since Cassie, Paxton, and Maggie had moved into the compound along with the Barton’s, the young girl had spent a great deal of time with her father, and by extension, Tony. Peter would also spend every spare moment with them at the compound. Peter and Cassie got along great. They were so close that they were practically siblings. It made Tony happy. Peter was as good as his pup at this point and it made him happy that they were getting along.

A few weeks after they bonded, Scott accompanied Tony to his ultrasound appointment. May met them in the medical wing of the compound and got all the equipment set up while Scott helped Tony up onto the bed.

“Alright Tony, before we start I just have a few questions.” Stated May, Tony nodded and they began.

“Now, has anything felt off lately? Any pain that’s not related to the pregnancy?” Tony shook his head and was about to say “no”, but Scott interrupted.

“He’s had some pain around the arc reactor the past few nights. Also, he’s not getting enough sleep.” Spoke up Scott and Tony served him a look.

“Tattle tail.” Scott just smiled back.

From there May want about checking Tony’s heart. She did what she could to help her friend. His heart looked alright, the pain was most likely from the pup kicking his ribs. Soon after, May fired up the ultrasound machine and got to checking on the pup.

“Everything looks to be developing normally. You’ve got about 10 weeks left so we still have a lot of developing to do. But for now, everything is normal.” Smiled May and Tony let out a sigh of relief. “Now Tony, are you sure you don’t want to know the gender of you’re pup?”

“I’m sure. I want it to be a surprise.” May smiled knowingly and let the bonded pair head back to their room for lunch.

The next few weeks passed without incident. Scott and Tony fell into a routine and Cassie and Peter continued to bond. Tony ended up asking Maggie and Laura what to expect when he gave birth. That was one thing he was scared of. Tony was terrified that something would go wrong and he would hurt the pup. It gave him nightmares so bad that Scott was up with him for hours every night in the hopes of calming him down.

But, after talking with the other people who had given birth, Tony felt more reassured about the situation. That and Scott promised to be by his side the entire time. They were mates now, and mates don’t leave each other when they are needed.

The weeks continued to pass and Tony felt more and more like a beached whale. At one point he seriously asked May if he was carrying twins because he looked gigantic. May assured him that everything was normal and that he was only carrying one pup.

Tony and Scott had finally finished the nursery. It looked beautiful. All the furniture was as safe as could be and everything was soft and pastel. Steve, for all he was annoyed with Tony, actually helped paint the pup’s room. He painted little animals all over the walls to fit the jungle theme of the room. For all that Tony and Steve didn’t get along, Steve wasn’t going to take his anger out on an innocent pup.

So, with the nursery done, all they needed was for the pup to arrive. Tony was due to give birth in a couple of weeks and honestly, he was getting nervous. Scott helped a lot. Same with Cassie, Rhodey, Peter, and Pepper. They kept Tony occupied and not focusing on all the stuff that could go wrong. May was on call to the compound most days now. She and Peter had all but moved in and May had actually transferred from her hospital to work at the compound. That way she would be ready for when Tony went into labour.       

Now, the day Tony actually went into labour started out like any normal day. Tony was 38 weeks pregnant, felt achy all over, and had a weird craving for cereal with chocolate milk. It was one of his more tame cravings. Scott still refused to kiss him when he ate the onions and chocolate.

So, the day started out normal. Scott and Tony shared a bath together, helped Cassie get ready for school before sending her off, and made breakfast. After the kids were at school the main living room of the compound was mostly quiet. Most of the others were out training or doing some work. Only Scott, Tony, and surprisingly Clint remained in the kitchen. Tony and Scott were sitting at the bar stools by the counter and talking while Clint ignored them and downing multiple carafes of coffee.

It was quiet in the kitchen. The sound of soft conversation floated through the air. It was all calm and peaceful. That was until Tony felt some twinging in his lower abdomen. He just brushed it off as regular pregnancy pain and continued to talk to his mate. He’d been feeling some cramping there for over a day at that point. It didn’t really phase him. Clint continued to chug obscene amounts of coffee in the background, probably to make Tony jealous. Tony and Scott got to talking about whether the pup would be a boy or girl. Tony didn’t care. As long as they were healthy he was alright. He had names picked out for either gender anyways.

About 30 minutes later, Tony felt another, much stronger twinge in his abdomen. The pain made Tony double over and grasp his belly. Scott was right by his side in an instant checking to made sure that Tony was alright.

“Are you alright Tony?” fretted Scott. Tony just smiled.

“I’m fine. It’s probably just a Braxton hicks contraction. May said I should be getting them. It’s normal.” Responded Tony.

It wasn’t just a Braxton hicks contraction.

Two hours later, while Tony and Scott were walking to their room, Tony suddenly doubled over once more in pain. But it wasn’t just the pain that was alarming. There was a stream of liquid covering Tony’s sweatpants. His water had broken.

Now, despite the fact that Scott had done this all before, he began to panic. He yelled at FRIDAY to alert May and to get medical ready. He helped Tony as quick as he could down to medical where May was waiting for them. Scott helped Tony change into a hospital gown before gently guiding his mate onto the waiting bed. May ended up giving Tony a quick check over to make sure that things looked alright before she went off to go get things ready.

Scott joined Tony on the bed as Tony turned to curl up in his side. He was way more comfortable that way. And Tony was going to seek out any comfort he could. He knew the next hours were going to get painful.

“We should probably let everyone know what’s going on so they don’t get mad at us.” Tony murmured into Scott’s stomach.

“That’s a good idea.” Agreed Scott as he ran his hand through Tony’s curls. “FRIDAY, can you bring up a call with the rest of the team?” FRIDAY was quick to oblige and soon enough Scott was in a call with Steve Rogers and the rest of the team.

“Scott, where are you? We have a team bonding activity this afternoon. It’s not like you to be late.” Spoke up, Steve.

“Tony went into labour. We’re down in medical.” Explained Scott, and suddenly the room was amassed with chatter.

“Pepper and I will be right down. I’ll send Happy to go pick up Peter from school.” Spoke Rhodey as he got closer to the screen.

“I’ll go pick up Cassie from school. She’ll be furious if I don’t get her.” Stated Maggie.

Even with everyone talking they were still able to hear Tony whimpering in pain as another contraction passed.

“You doing alright Tones?” asked Rhodey in concern.

“I’ll be fine as soon as this pup is out of me and in my arms Platypus.” Groaned Tony. This was going to be a long day.

Scott talked to everyone a while longer and kept them all at bay with a promise to give updates every few hours. Despite what had happened in the past, most of the Rogues (except Wanda and Clint) were concerned about the birth. Tony wasn’t really listening to the conversation. He just curled up closer to Scott and waited for the pain to get worse.

Another hour passed. Rhodey and Pepper come down to visit. They talked for a bit before May kicked them out to do an exam on Tony. He was only about 5cm dilated and still had a ways to go. Scott, true to his word, was at Tony’s side the entire time. Tony, despite the pain he was in, was starting to get restless just staying curled up in the bed. So, Scott helped him up and they took a slow walk around the room. At one point they had FRIDAY turn on some music so they could dance a bit.

By the time dinner time rolled around, Tony had progressed a bit further. May predicted that it would probably only be a few more hours if Tony kept progressing as fast as he had. Peter and Cassie came in to visit. Both of them were super excited about the baby coming. Cassie had loads of questions that the adults tried to answer to the best of their ability, but some of them were a little bit harder.

Things were taking longer than a few hours. By 10’oclock at night Tony had stalled out a bit. Luckily the kids weren’t in the room to see him in so much pain. They were out in the hall playing Monopoly with Pepper and Rhodey. Tony, on the other hand, was absolutely miserable. He’d never been in so much pain in his life and he’d had open heart surgery in a cave. Scott just felt helpless. He hated seeing his mate in so much pain and not be able to do anything about it.  

Tony was so incredibly thankful that once 11’oclock rolled around May told him he was fully dilated and ready to push. At that point, Tony was ready to cry. Whether it was from pain, exhaustion, or relief, he didn’t know. All he knew was that he would get to meet his pup soon.  

“Alright Tony, on your next contraction I’ll get to push for me. Alright?” spoke May. Tony nodded and began to mentally prepare himself. Scott squeezed his hand in support and the second the contraction hit, Tony pushed like his life depended on it.

“Holy Fuck! Jesus! Fucking Hell!” swore Tony as the pain intensified. Scott just dabbed a cool towel over Tony’s sweaty brow and offered words of love and encouragement.

The next 45 minutes passed more or less the same way. Tony swore and tried to remember to breathe, Scott offered love and encouragement, and May gave instructions. But, they could all tell that Tony was getting exhausted. Though he had healed from having the new arc reactor put in, his chest was still delicate and all the pushing wasn’t doing him any favours.  

Tony was at the point where he didn’t even have the energy or focus for words. He was just screaming and crying out in pain at every push. The whole compound could probably hear him, but Tony didn’t care. He just wanted this pup out of him.

Despite all the pain, Tony was able to spare a thought for his mate. He was pretty sure he’d broken one of Scott’s fingers with how hard he was squeezing his hand. But, Tony was only able to spare Scott a moment before another contraction hit and he cried out in pain. He was seriously questioning how some people had more then one kid if it was this painful.

“Alright, Tony. You’re getting really close. I can see the head. You’re almost done.” Encouraged May. Tony nodded and kept pushing.

“You’re so close Tony. Just a few more pushes and you can rest with the pup. You can do it, Tony.” Spoke Scott as he stroked Tony’s hair.

Five minutes later, right at the stroke of midnight and with a horrible pained scream, Tony and Scott welcomed a healthy baby boy into the world. The second the pup was placed on Tony’s now bare chest, he was crying for a whole different reason. There were blood and body fluids everywhere, but at that moment, Tony had never felt so happy.

“Oh god Tony, he’s beautiful.” Cried Scott as he wrapped his arms around Tony and the pup.

Tony was lost for words. Scott was right, his pup was beautiful. And, what made Tony the happiest as he looked over his pup, he didn’t seem to look anything like Quill. He looked just like Tony when he was little.

May helped Tony deliver the placenta not to long after his son was born. She made sure that both Tony and the pup were doing alright before she quickly helped clean them up before leaving. She wanted to give the new parents some time to bond before the onslaught of well-meaning visitors. Plus, it gave her the opportunity to let everyone know that both Tony and his son were alright.

“So Tony, what are you going to name this cutie?” asked Scott as he bundled his mate and pup up in blankets and cuddled them close. Tony paused for a bit before answering.

“Edwin. His name is Edwin James Stark-Lang,” whispered Tony and Scott teared up.

“You want him to have my last name too?” gasped Scott and Tony smiled.

“He’s you’re pup too. We’re a family. We stick together.”

The two got about 20 minutes of time alone with the pup before Pepper, Rhodey, Peter, and Cassie were bursting into the room.

“Is that the pup?” asked Cassie as she climbed onto the foot of the bed.

“It is. Everyone I’d like to introduce you to Edwin James Stark-Lang.” smiled Tony tiredly. Everyone instantly began cooing and offering their congratulations.

“You named him after me and Jarvis!” spoke Rhodey in awe. Tony smiled and nodded.

With everyone checking in on Tony, he almost missed Steve, Natasha, and Sam entering the room. They offered Tony and Scott their congratulations from the team. Nobody stuck around too long. They could see how exhausted Tony was. He’d just pushed a whole person out of his body. He deserved some rest.

Once everyone left, Scott helped Tony feed Edwin his first meal. As Edwin gently suckled from Tony’s chest, he couldn’t help but feel extremely grateful. Despite all the hardships that he had undergone in the last year, Tony had made it out in one piece with a mate who loved him and a beautiful, healthy son. It was worth it. Every minute of pain and heartbreak had been worth it for this moment. Tony wouldn’t trade Scott and Edwin for the world.

Now if only things could stay that nice.


	4. I promise you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last Chapter!!! Enjoy friends!!!

No books could truly prepare Tony for what it was like to actually have a pup. All the books said how hard it was to raise a pup and keep them alive. Tony really wasn’t having any problems when it came to taking care of Edwin. He was an easy baby. He didn’t cry a whole lot and spent most of his time sleeping or trying to focus on things.

So, Edwin was easy. The only problem Tony was having was with himself. He’d been feeling like absolute shit since Edwin’s birth. Scott did his best to help, but there was only so much he could do. There was one night, when Edwin was only a week old, where Edwin started crying. Edwin crying made Tony start crying, and Tony crying made Scott cry. So, everyone was crying and nobody really knew what to do. It wasn’t fun.

But, despite feeling like garbage and his emotions going haywire, Tony still tried his best to be a good parent. Some members of the Rogues (you can guess who) tried to find as many flaws as possible in Tony’s parenting. Tony tried not to let it get to him. He knew he was doing a good job and that Edwin was doing just fine, but sometimes Tony would just breakdown and cry over the words of his once friends. He blamed hormones on that one.

So, Edwin continued to grow and do typical baby stuff. Tony and Scott doted over him and Peter and Cassie loved spending time with him. Tony loved the fact that he had a family. It made him feel safe and loved. Two things he’d been sorely lacking in his life. Life was petty good. Edwin was healthy, Scott was an angel, Tony was happy.

Then two months later, Thanos showed up.

Well, more accurately, The Guardians showed up with Thor and Bruce in tow.

And Tony hated it.

The day started out normal. Tony woke up pretty early to feed Edwin. Scott helped Cassie get ready for school. Then a giant spaceship landed in the yard. The second Tony saw the ship he took Edwin and fled to his and Scott’s room. Scott quickly followed and let Steve and the others deal with the people outside.

“Captain, where is Stark? We need to talk to him.” Asked Thor as he and the others got off of their ship.

“He’s back in his room taking care of the pup.” Spoke Steve quite matter of fact.

“Tony had a pup?” asked a puzzled Quill. Steve just nodded and tried to get some answers from Thor and Bruce over what was going on.

The whole time Quill’s mind kept wandering back to Tony. It seemed a bit strange to him that Tony had a pup. He’d only been gone from Terra for a year. It wasn’t inconceivable for Tony to have a pup in that time, but it made him feel a little uneasy. Something seemed off.

“Look, Captain, I know you’re the leader, but we really need to talk to Stark. Thanos is coming to Earth for the stones and he’s our best defence. We’ve got a week at most before he shows up and we need to plan.” Urged Thor.

“Fine, let’s all go inside and I’ll go get him and Scott.” Huffed Steve before he lead the Guardians and his friends back inside the compound.

Once inside, Steve commanded FRIDAY to get Tony and Scott. The young AI did so begrudgingly. If the world wasn’t at stake she would have just brushed the Rogues off to protect her family. About 10 minutes later  Tony and Scott walked in. Tony looked exhausted and resigned while Scott stood at Tony’s side protectively.

“Sorry, we’re late. We had to put Edwin down for his nap.” Mumbled Tony.

The second Tony spoke, Quill’s eyes were on him and the man who must be his mate. Tony sure looked different from the last time Quill had seen him. He looked sleep deprived, but that was a given with a young pup. There was a mating bite that wasn’t there before, and Tony generally looked softer. In Quill’s mind, he still looked absolutely beautiful. So, he did what he’d been waiting a year to do. He spoke up to talk to him.  

“Stardust?” Tony’s eye’s snapped over to Quill. And he looked absolutely furious.

“Don’t you dare call me that. You used me and left me. You have no right to act all buddy-buddy with me.” Seethed Tony. He was trying to keep his emotions in check and to be impartial. The known universe was at stake. But it was so hard to do with Quill in the room.   

“What are you talking about Stardust?” asked Quill. He was a little bit confused. He remembered having absolutely amazing sex with Tony but then having to leave because of a call from the Nova Corps. He had to leave.

“Stop calling me that!” yelled Tony. “And how could you not know what you did. You raped me during my heat. Omegas can’t consent during heat and you took advantage of me! And to top it all off, the second my heat was over, you fucked back off to space only leaving a note!”

That was when the situation really sunk in for everyone in the room. This was the first time most of them had heard about what actually happened. It was so bad that even Steve looked angry. Scott tried his best to calm his mate down while everyone else, including Clint and Wanda, started yelling at Quill. For the people who hated Tony to be yelling at another in his defence, well, the situation must have been bad.

It took a little while, but eventually, the yelling came to a standstill. Quill had to sit on the complete opposite end of the room away from Tony. He was feeling incredibly guilty over what he had done, and he knew that if it wasn’t for the end of the universe situation everyone in the room would be handing his ass to him on a silver platter.

From there Thor and Bruce explained what had happened in the years they had been missing. There was something about a psycho sister and gladiator fights on a distant planet. It was all really confusing. But, when Thor told Tony that Thanos had attacked Loki on what remained of Asgard to capture the Space Stone. Loki had been killed while the rest of Asgard had been spared. But what was really unnerving was the whole time, Thanos had been muttering about “needing to beat Stark”.

“Why the hell does he want me?” whispered Tony as he tried not to panic. Scott just held his mate close in an attempt to keep the peace.

“You destroyed his army back during Loki’s invasion. You are his number one threat and our best chance of defeating him for good.” Explained Thor. Tony just sort of sat there in shock. He really didn’t know what to say to that.

Luckily that was when FRIDAY alerted Tony that Edwin was awake and needed to be fed. Scott took that opportunity to go fetch the infant so that Tony didn’t need to get up. As much as Tony wanted to leave the room and all the tension he was thankful to remain sitting. He wasn’t sure he legs would support him if he tried to get up.

“Hey, there baby boy.” Cooed Tony once Scott returned with Edwin and placed him in Tony’s arms. “Are you hungry sweetie?”   

Nobody really bat an eye as Tony began to feed his son. It was just a normal occurrence at the compound. Although, Thor was immediately taken with Edwin. Who knew that Thor liked kids so much. It was kind of funny to watch Thor make funny faces at Edwin and have Edwin ignore them in favour of falling asleep in Tony’s arms.

From there they continued trying to plan for Thanos’ attack in hushed voices as to not wake Edwin. One thing that Tony made vehemently clear as soon as the discussion began was that the fight needed to happen away from the compound. There were kids there. If anything happened to them it would be horrible.

After that, they really got into planning. Thor mentioned this man called Dr. Strange who was apparently a sorcerer. He had the Time Stone in his possession and would be of use during the fight. They also tossed around a few ideas on how to best defeat Thanos. Some were a bit more… R rated… than others. They ended up calling King T’Challa for help. He had some good ideas, and by the time the older kids were coming home from school, they had a solid plan.

Tony wasn’t too happy about some parts of the plan. They would be leaving the next day for Wakanda and Tony didn’t like the fact that he would have to leave Edwin for any length of time. Sure, May and Peter would be watching him, but that didn’t make it easy. Scott ended up holding Tony tight that night as he cried.

The next day everyone was up bright and early to make their way to Wakanda. Tony made sure that Edwin had everything he needed, but despite May’s reassurance that Edwin would be taken care of, it still took 40 minutes and a boatload of tears before Tony was ready to lave his pup.

The flight to Wakanda felt like it took years when in reality it was only a few hours because of Tony’s new Quinjet design. The whole time everybody was on edge. The only talking was either words of reassurance or finalizing plans.

Tony mostly sat in silence while Scott held him close. In all honesty, Tony really wasn’t a fan of the plan. First, they were going to have Princess Shuri remove the Mind Stone from Vision so that Wanda could destroy it. Meanwhile, everyone else would be gearing up to fight. That was what Tony was scared about. The fight. Their goal was to get the gauntlet off of Thanos and pass it off to Tony so he could finish off the Titan for good. Thanos already had three stones. It was going to be a fight for their lives. Tony hated the fact that he was going to be the one to use the gauntlet. The only reason it was him was that he was apparently “Thanos’ equal.” Therefore, in theory, he should be able to weald the gauntlet. But, the gauntlet with THREE INFINITY STONES was something extremely powerful. If they were wrong, Tony was going to die and leave Edwin without one of his parents.

Once they were in Wakanda, everyone got to work immediately. Shuri took off with Bruce, Vision, and Wanda while everyone else got their suits ready to go and turned their eye’s to the sky. Thankfully, it was all clear. By the end of the day, Wanda had destroyed the Mind Stone and Vision was resting and recovering from having the stone removed. Everyone slept in shifts and someone was always monitoring what was going on in the atmosphere. They needed to Know the exact second Thanos arrived. When it was Tony’s turn to keep watch, Scott was right there by his side.

“I can hear you thinking from over here baby. What’s going on?” asked Scott as he scooted over.

“Just… everything.” Huffed Tony. “With Quill coming back and Thanos about to attack, I just can’t seem to turn my brain off. I don’t want anyone to get hurt and I don’t want to die. Like, I used to want to die, but I really don’t want that anymore. I have you and Edwin, and Peter, and Cassie to worry about. You guys make me so happy. I don’t want to die and lose all of this.” By the end, Tony was fighting to hold off tears and Scott’s heart was breaking.

“Tony, I promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. To keep US safe. We’re a team, you and me. You’re my mate. I love you and I’m never letting you go.” That got Tony to smile a little bit.

Then all hell broke loose.

Around 1 am they got an alert that a large, unidentified ship had entered the atmosphere above Wakanda. Everyone was woken up as they all quickly got ready to fight. Everyone made their way out of the city and into the forest, away from all the innocent civilians. Not too long after everyone arrived in full armour, a foggy blue portal opened up in front of them. Everyone took position and waited to see who came out.

“I’m looking for Tony Stark. Bring him to me.” Commanded the Titan as he stepped through the portal. The team all proceeded to gather in front of Tony to protect him from Thanos’ view.

“You’re not getting him.” Lashed out, Thor.

“I am merciful. If you give him to me, nobody else here will be harmed.” Spoke Thanos almost softly and with care. It scarily reminded Tony of Obadiah Stane.

“You’re not getting him.” Spoke Thor again.

“Fine, I gave you all a chance, but I guess I’ll have to do this myself.” Grumbled the Titan.

That was when all the fighting broke out. Nobody was pulling their punches. Now was not the time. Tony was firing repulsor blasts from a distance to keep himself out of the way until they got the gauntlet, Steve’s shield could be seen ricocheting off of trees. Thor was lighting up the battle with dancing displays of lightning, and Scott could be seen growing and shrinking as he saw fit. The best description of the battle was pure chaos. There were people shouting orders, blood dirt caked everyone’s body, and the cried of pain filled the air as Thanos tried to use the three stones he had to his advantage.

Things got worse when Sam accidentally revealed that they had successfully destroyed the Mind Stone. Thanos went ballistic. Tony had to enter the fight to get up close and personal with Thanos just to help everyone else stay in the game.

Not long after that, they had their first major injury. Wanda, despite her best efforts really wasn’t a match for the powers of the Space Stone. Thanos threw her through a portal and over the trees. She landed hard and broke her leg in 3 places and got a concussion. She was out for the remainder of the fight.

The others weren’t doing much better. There was so much blood on the ground that the sight of it made Tony feel sick. Thankfully, they were not at a point where they could attempt their plan to take down Thanos. Hopefully, it would work.    

Scott, with the help of Clint and his impeccable aim, shot one of his growth disks at Thanos’ gauntlet. While Thanos was distracted by the gauntlet suddenly being taller than he was, Gamora, Nebula, and Rhodey were able to get Thanos to the ground. That gave Scott just enough time to resize the gauntlet and pass it off to Tony.

The second Tony slid the gauntlet onto his arm he felt a mighty surge of power and smelled burning flesh. That would have worried him more but taking down Thanos was the priority. The only real downside to their plan was that Tony had NO FUCKING CLUE how to use the gauntlet. When Thanos used it he mostly just clenched his fist and it did stuff. So, Tony clenched his fist and hoped for the best.

What followed was a flash of light and a whole lot of screaming.

What Tony didn’t realize at the time was that HE was the one screaming. Thanos had been killed. They got lucky. Tony really had no idea how to use the gauntlet. But, Tony was still screaming. Thankfully, but the time Thanos was dead, Tony’s screams had quieted down to pained whimpers and shock. Scott was quick to run over and attempt to calm him down while T’Challa called back to the city for medical aid for their injured teammates.

Tony was still in shock and shaking horribly as the doctors in Wakanda checked him over. His left arm had a bad break that they had to set as well as a few severe burns that got treated. Everyone spent the night resting and healing inside the safety of Wakanda’s borders. Scott didn’t leave Tony’s side for a second. The both needed the reassurance that the other was alive and there with them. At one point Scott managed to video call May and Peter back at the compound so check in with the kids. Cassie and Peter were over the moon to know that Tony and Scott were relatively alright. Edwin just slept, completely uncaring of the world around him. He was such an easy going pup.

By sunrise, everyone was making their way back to the compound. Rhodey had already told the UN what had happened and how everything had ended. It made Tony’s life easier not having to do that. He hated giving reports. The jet was silent as they flew back. Nobody had much energy to do much of anything.

The second they arrived back home, those who had kids made a b-line for them. They needed to reassure themselves that they were safe and unharmed. Tony and Scott all but locked themselves away with Edwin, Cassie, and Peter. Having the kids around helped calm them down and made things a bit better. Tony wasn’t panicking as much and that was always a plus.

The next day, the Guardians saw that it was time for them to depart. They had gotten a call from some space government and they needed to report in. So, bright and early, they began packing up their ship in preparation for departure.        

Now, since Quill had learnt that Tony had given birth he couldn’t help but wonder if the pup was his. The timeline would match up, it was logical. Honestly, Quill was really hung up on the whole thing. He needed to know if the pup was his. Sure, he had fucked up in the worst way possible when it came to Tony, but he still needed to know. So, when the Avengers, both old and new, made their way out of the compound to say farewell to the Guardians, Quill took that time to corner Tony and ask him.

“Tony, I have to know… Is Edwin my son?” pleaded Quill as he made to leave back to space with the rest of the Guardians. Tony took a moment before answering.

“You may have been the one to get me pregnant, but you will never be Edwin’s father. That role belongs to my mate, never you.” And with that, Tony turned his back on Quill and never looked back. He didn’t see the pained look on Quill’s face, nor did he see Quill get slapped by Gamora. All Tony cared about was getting back to Scott and Edwin. He had a family to worry about.

Time passed and Edwin began to grow up. By the time he was two, he had a very definitive personality. Edwin was a quiet boy who loved reading and blocks. He loved dinosaurs and playing dress up. Everyone loved him.

Life at the compound had mellowed out a bit. Sure, there were still some Avengers who didn’t like Tony, but it didn’t get to him like it used to. For once, Tony was happy. Like really truly happy. He had a family, something that he had longed for since he was little. Sure, his life hadn’t come easy, but in the end, it was worth it. It would always be worth it.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends. Thank you for reading my fic. I know that this was an extremely rare pare, but I’m thankful you stuck around. On a side note, I actually considered including the meme where Ant-Man crawls up Thanos’ ass and expands as a viable option. Just for shits and giggles. Obviously, I didn’t to that. If you can’t tell by that last bit, I fucking hate writing fight scenes. I’m just not that good at them. I’m getting better, but still. But, thank you for reading my fic. If you are so inclined you should read some of my others like ‘More Than He Seems”, and “The Prince’s Love”. They’re both Marvel and pretty good If I say so myself. So, thanks for reading. I’ll see you around! -Shadows.


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